Hostage
by svuobssesed
Summary: Hold on," Olivia whispered over and over, a desparate prayer to a God she had never believed in as tears fell from her eyes. Elliot could only watch helplessly, willing to sacrifice anything if it meant that she wouldn't have to suffer any longer. EO.
1. Chapter 1

**hello my darlings, its me again! newest fan fic, first openly EO one, as in theres obvious EO stuff throughout the whole story, rather than just at the end. so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review like mad (wo)men. im hoping to get more than just 20 some reviews this time. plus, this time i won't post anymore if people don't review. so take that as your warning. read on, and enjoy :)**

Olivia climbed up to the foreign apartment wearily; the sounds of the CSU team hard at work already audible. The clock beside her bedside had flashed a harsh 3:13 AM when she groggily awoke to her ringing cell phone. She and her partner had caught yet another new case, and by the tone of her Captain's voice, it wasn't pretty. Slightly out of breath, she pushed past the crime scene tape and entered the apartment. "Hi, Detective Olivia Benson, Special Victims Unit," she said, flashing her badge to the guy at the door. She saw the outlines of the ME and her partner up ahead in the bedroom, and walked over to join them. "What have we got…"Her voice trailed off as she turned the corner to get her first full view of the crime.

The carpet and bed were soaked in blood, and all four walls were spattered. One body lay in the corner while the other sat slumped in a chair, their final resting place after a long, excruciating fight. Bracing herself for the worst, Olivia kneeled down slowly, examining the first body, the body of the woman. Her face was completely gone, in all manners of the word. Her eyes had been carved out leaving only bloody sockets, and stumps remained of what was once her nose and mouth. Her body lay twisted at an impossible angle, having been cut, bruised, and burned mercilessly as a sick form of torture. Around her neck was a pair of pantyhose, probably her own, used to strangle to the edge of death, before letting the woman recover just to start the process over. To top it off, the woman's clothes were gone, leaving the fluids and bruising from the rape exposed; the ultimate sign of shame.

Swallowing hard, Olivia turned to the man's body. He was tied to a chair; the ropes on his wrists were inescapable but could be easily loosened by the perp. His eyes were open and, even in death, filled with unfathomable pain and despair. By the bloody objects in his left hand and the claw hammer in his right, it was obvious the perp had released him to beat and torture his own wife before tying him back up for him to watch her being raped. God only knew how much suffering these two had had to endure before they were finally blessed with death.

Utterly sick and horrified, Olivia stood up slowly. She wavered slightly, the cloying scent of blood momentarily making her dizzy. Elliot immediately grabbed her shoulders, steadying her, before she shrugged him off. Melinda, sensing Olivia's need for something familiar, said, "The perp left plenty of DNA on the victim, so you'll have no problem matching it once you get a suspect. Also, according to body temperature and rigor, they've only been dead a couple hours. Probably sometime between 11 and 12 last night. And lastly, COD was probably strangulation, but it's hard to be certain with all the wounds. I'll know more after an autopsy." Muttering an "I'm fine" to Elliot, Olivia asked, "Anyone ID the victims yet?" Elliot looked at her in concern, before answering "Their names are Alan and Lucy Moore. Super said they've only been living here about a year, and none of the neighbors saw or heard anything." "Though how in the world they missed a woman's screams beats me," he added bitterly.

The victims were loaded into body bags, the men carrying them looking distinctly green. The ambulance sirens wailed as they took off for the hospital, before they faded away into silence. Elliot cleared his throat and walked to the door, attempting to break the gloom hanging over them all. "So our perp walks through the front door, let in by one of the victims. They then proceed to walk to the kitchen, where they sit down and have a drink." Olivia pointed to the pieces of glass on the kitchen floor, and walks to the bedroom. "At this point, the perp strikes them and immobilizes them. He drags their bodies into the bedroom and ties the husband to the chair." Elliot kneeled at the spot where the chair and the woman were first dragged. "He starts raping her, while she's still unconscious. Then…" Olivia put a hand on Elliot's arm to silence him. "Did you hear that?" Elliot looked confused. "Hear what?" She walked around the room, trying to locate the origin of the sound. "It sounded like someone said…" "MOMMY!"

Out of the closed closet door, a little girl no more than three, jumped out into Olivia's arms. Stifling a yelp, Olivia looked in shock at the girl in her arms. She was beautiful, with long brown hair with big green eyes. "Hi sweetie…" Olivia said almost cautiously, "What's your name?" The girl giggled. "Come on, Mommy, how could you forget my name? I'm Liza, 'member? Liza Moore!" Liza snuggles into Olivia's neck, wrapping her arms even tighter. Olivia turned around to face Elliot, horror just beginning to register in her face. She pried Liza's arms from around her neck, set her down gently, and kneeled so she was eye to eye with the little girl. "Liza, honey…I'm not your Mommy. Your mom…" Olivia paused, never sure how to break the news. "Somebody hurt her, so she's in a better place now, okay?"

Liza's eyes filled with tears. "What are you talking about, Mommy? You're fine! You're fine, you're fine, you're fine!" The screams escalated, blowing into a full force temper tantrum. Olivia attempted to calm her down, whispering "Shh, shh, it's okay Liza, calm down." When the girl started sobbing, Olivia mouthed "help" to Elliot. Almost amused at her ignorance in dealing with screaming children, Elliot also kneeled down to face Liza. "Liza…my name's…" "DADDY!" Liza recovered almost immediately, tackling Elliot the same way she had Olivia. "Daddy, daddy, daddy, you're home! You want to see the drawing I made for you today?! It's a pretty little pony; will you put it up for me, Daddy, please?" Unable to resist the girl's glowing eyes, he said, "Sure, honey, why don't you wait right here and…" He looked at Olivia. "Mommy and Daddy will be right back, okay?"

Grabbing Olivia's arm, he dragged her to the corner of the room. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered, the anger in her eyes flaring. "The last thing we need is to egg her on!" "Liv, it's obvious that this girl witnessed the crime, if this is the only way to calm her down, then why not?!" Their faces were an inch apart, the tension running high; neither of them ready to back off. Finally he sighed, a sign of compromise. "Look, we'll role-play just until we get back to the stationhouse and get Huang down here to evaluate her, deal?" His eyes searched hers, surprised to find despair and longing hidden within the depths. Suddenly realizing why this was so hard for her, he put a hand on her arm. "Liv…you know you'd make a great mother, no matter what anyone else says," His eyes softened in pity, and more tenderness than she could bear.

Olivia tensed, anticipating his upcoming sympathy and wanting none of it. "All right, I'll do it" she cut in quickly, warding off his concern. She smiled fractionally, to hide her true heartache. "After all, she is cute." Before Elliot got the chance to break her down further, Olivia walked briskly back to Liza, who had settled in the corner playing with her doll. "Liza?" Her head shot up in reaction to her name. "What is it, Mommy?" "Well um….Daddy and I are going to take you for a little ride, okay?" "Okay!" she chirped, immediately grabbing both Olivia's hand. "Let's go!" Olivia glanced back at Elliot, still standing in the corner, and motioning for him to follow. Staring after her retreating figure for a few moments longer, he followed her down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**hey everyone, thanks so much for the reviews! for my last two stories, i only got 1 and 2 reviews so i have lots of hope for the future of this story. XD umm theres not much to report. 54 days until the new episode of svu. soo read on and, as always, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. love you all! 3**

The ride back to the stationhouse was more interesting than most; Olivia and Elliot took turns teasing and playing with the little girl. Many times Elliot looked over to Olivia on the passenger side, turned around making funny faces at Liza who was screaming in laughter, and saw something in her he had never seen before. He couldn't quite name it, but whatever it was, it made him ache for her loss. She had so much to give, her heart was boundless, but she was and always had been alone. If only he could help her, try to take away her pain without her pushing him away every time…

Elliot gritted his teeth; the cold metal band on his finger reminding him of his commitment to his family, a temporary shelter against the throbbing in his heart. Knowing if he let himself forget, even for a moment; he would start wanting more. Something that he would never be able to have. Settling his hands more comfortably on the steering wheel, Elliot cleared his mind. He focused on the road, desperately afraid that if he lost his vigilance; the walls that kept his emotions in check would come tumbling down to the ground.

By the time they had inched their way through New York City traffic and made it back to the station house, Liza was fast asleep. Elliot carried her in his arms, as Olivia walked behind them. His arms, strong enough to crush the girl in a heartbeat, were gentle as her head lolled on his shoulder. Olivia smiled at how cute they looked together, momentarily letting her guard down. Elliot looked so relaxed, the crease of worry in his forehead she was so accustomed to seeing gone, as opposed to his usual intimidating demeanor. She could only imagine the side of him that Kathy was in love with; the side that whispered to her in the dark when they lay next to each other in bed…

Olivia's thoughts were interrupted as she crashed into Elliot, who had stopped abruptly in front of her. He had been about to ask her to take Liza for a moment when she, lost in her thoughts, hadn't noticed and walked straight into him. Elliot fought to regain his balance, at the same time steadying Olivia and trying not to wake the sleeping girl on his shoulder. After winning their battle against gravity, they finally regained their footing; only to find themselves in an awkward embrace; his arm pinning her to his body, both trapped and unable to move.

Olivia's cheeks heated immediately, closing her eyes in embarrassment as Elliot suppressed the overwhelming urge to laugh, though there was nothing comical about the situation, in his opinion. He was standing with the traumatized daughter of two brutalized victims sleeping on his shoulder, while holding his partner of nine years tighter than he would his own wife.

Olivia willed her arms to push Elliot away, sure that if she didn't, then they would settle around his neck comfortably, and hold him back just as tightly. However, before they could get over the awkwardness of the situation and step away from each other, Liza's eyes fluttered opened. Elliot and Olivia froze, her hands still resting on Elliot's chest. "Mommy…Daddy…" the girl murmured sleepily, becoming aware of her surroundings. "Yes, honey?' Olivia's voice sounded shrill, even to her own ears. The heat of Elliot's body was getting to her, she couldn't think or breathe. Liza mumbled a few more inaudible words before her head drooped once more.

Elliot and Olivia both let out sighs of relief, as they averted their eyes and untangled their bodies. The cold air seemed to settle between and press down on them when their bodies separated, leaving both of them alone. Almost automatically, they each took a step forward, seeking the warmth from a moment before they came to their senses. "Um…Cragen's probably waiting for us to get back…" Olivia stuttered, still unable to form a coherent sentence. "Oh…yeah…" Elliot jabbed the elevator button hard, more impatient to get back than usual. Both were desperate to get back to familiar territory; they needed to escape from all the personal demons between them, or else the balance of their partnership would tip, leaving room for all left unsaid between them.

As the two detectives walked through the door, Munch raised an eyebrow at Liza, still sleeping soundly on Elliot's shoulder. "Do you guys have something you want to tell us? You know, like an upcoming marriage, or confessing to a wild love affair between you two?" Olivia and Elliot shot him a look, neither in the mood to banter. The brutality of the case and the stress of close personal contact with their emotions had put them in foul moods. Olivia leaned her head back against the file cabinet wearily and closed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Elliot set Liza down gently on a chair, before collapsing onto his own chair.

Munch, however, was unstoppable. Cocking his head, Munch scrutinized the girl curled up in the chair. "You know, she doesn't look anything like you guys. Well at least, nothing like you, Elliot. Olivia been cheating on you? And what are Kathy and the kids going to say when they find out you're madly attracted to your partner?" Elliot stood up so fast that his chair crashed into the cabinet behind him. Fin, who had been observing the whole ordeal from his desk, stepped towards Munch, ready to defend if Elliot picked a fight. Olivia also took a step forward, touching Elliot's shoulder cautiously; genuinely scared he would start throwing punches at the older man. Even Munch looked afraid, only now realizing he had pushed too far.


	3. Chapter 3

**god has it really only been a week since i updated...why does it feel like its been so much longer? oh well. as always, review review review! if not for anything else, will you do it to make me happy? XD**

"Daddy?" The small voice broke through the tension. Liza's eyes were wide, looking at Elliot in fear. Elliot's anger died immediately, as he kneeled down in front of Liza's chair. "What's wrong, sweetie?" "You were about to hurt that other man. Everyone was afraid of you." Liza's bottom lip quivered as she searched Elliot's face for answers. "You weren't going to hurt him, were you, Daddy?" Elliot's heart broke a little. Had he really looked that intimidating? _If you lose all those restraints, your wife and your kids, your partner…who would you be? _The words of Gordon Rickett through his head, haunting him. He enfolded the crying girl in his arms, as he shut his eyes, remembering. _I'd be you._

He opened his eyes again, to find Olivia kneeling next to him, whispering words of comfort in Liza's ear. "Shh, it's okay honey. Nobody is going to hurt anybody while Mommy and Daddy are here, okay?" he heard Olivia croon, as she stroked Liza's hair. "Will you promise that we'll always be a family, Mommy?" "No matter what," Olivia swore. "And do you love me and Daddy?" Liza asked brokenly, lifting her tearstained face to look at Olivia. "Very much, honey." Olivia said, her own eyes filling with tears for everything this little girl had been through. "Both of you," she added almost inaudibly, leaving both she and Elliot to wonder if she had really said it at all.

Countless bribes, games, hugs, tears, and several cups of coffee consumed by the two detectives later, Liza had finally settled in the children's wait room. She had been assured several times by both Elliot and Olivia that they were right outside and if she ever needed them, all she would have to do is call their names. "God," Olivia sighed after finally prying Liza's arms from around Elliot's neck. "She's worse than that girl, Ashley, from that case a couple years back. You know the one with the crazy musician parents?" "Well yeah, but Ashley didn't witness her parents being tortured and brutally murdered. Can you blame her for being needy and insecure?"

Olivia looked back through the window, watching as Liza surveyed her surroundings fearfully, seeming to distrust anything and everything about the room. "The poor girl…her whole sense of safety in the world shattered at three years old…so when's Huang coming?" Elliot looked guilty. "Um…well…I haven't exactly called in him yet…" "Oh come on, El, we've got to get her examined! We need to find out what happened that night. And since we're now her 'Mommy and Daddy' we can't exactly question her."

He knew she was right, the longer they waited, the less chance there was of her remembering the night. But Elliot found himself unwilling to end the whole charade just yet. He couldn't let go of the ease in which she smiled and laughed when the three of them were together, or the tenderness in her voice when the three of them were together, or the tenderness in her voice when she comforted Liza, or the warmth of her arms around him. No, god, he had to stop this. He took a deep calming breath. "But Elliot…" Olivia stopped at the corner ahead, leaning against the wall. "I know why you didn't," she said before taking the turn, and walking out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

**one word: review**

Hours already wasted, Olivia and Elliot were practically chased out of the office to finally begin their investigation. They arrived at the restaurant that had been scrawled into the family's schedule book for that night. "Excuse me, sir," Olivia called to the man waiting to welcome guests. "Ah hello, it's your lucky day, coming here. Just because we are feeling so generous, all couples that walk in get unlimited wine and a 'private booth.'" The waiter winked suggestively. Olivia and Elliot exchanged a look. "_Pervert_" they thought simultaneously.

"You know what, mister; it's actually your lucky day." Elliot flashed his badge, inwardly smirking as the smile faded from the waiter's face. "Detective Stabler, this is my partner Detective Benson. We need to ask you a few questions." "Yeah, yeah, sure, anything for the cops." Olivia took out the picture of Alan and Lucy, and handed it to him. "Were they here, Wednesday night?" The waiter's eyes lit up in recognition. "Yeah! They were here, had the most adorable little girl with them too." "Do you know what time they left?" "Uh…" the waiter scrunched up his face in thought. "Oh, yeah, I remember. About 9:30, right after the fight. The men were almost at blows, the woman was terrified, and the little girl was hysterical."

He clucked his tongue. "At least they had the decency to leave before they caused an even bigger scene. I would totally recommend the young man for anger management, he was fit to kill, God, some people should NOT be allowed drink alcohol and get drunk and get all…" Olivia cut in, interrupting the man's speech. Her forehead was furrowed in concern. "Could you describe the man to a sketch artist?" "Nope, sorry." "Uh why not?" "Because I'm no good at remembering faces. Unless they stick out. All I can tell you is that he was young, and smokin' mad. Now if you'll excuse me, I have customers to attend to."

The waiter hesitated. "But you know my initial offer of the wine and the booth is still on the table. I might even add in a free meal because you two really do make a lovely couple. Great for business." "We're not a couple." Olivia said nonchalantly, still deep in thought. "So you're sure they left together?" "Yeah, very sure." "Thanks for your help," Olivia called out behind her shoulder as she pushed open the door to leave.

"What the hell was that about?" Elliot demanded as he fought to keep with his partner. "We could've questioned him further, gotten a more thorough description, at least taken a formal statement!" "The waiter said they left together, remember?" "I don't see how that has anything to do with it." "That means fingerprints! The waiter also said that the man was about to get in a fight with Mr. Moore. If our guy was SMART and hot-tempered, he wouldn't have started the fight in public. But he's not smart, so there's a good chance he's in the system." Now Elliot was completely baffled. "Um I admire your logic, Liv, but I'd rather go on concrete proof. What if we don't find any fingerprints?" "Oh we will."

"Olivia!" Elliot finally caught up to her, and spun her around. "Where are you really trying to go?" Olivia sighed, knowing she couldn't look him in the eye and keep lying. "Fine. I'm worried about Liza; I need to make sure she's okay." Elliot raised his eyebrows. "And you accuse me of getting too personally involved. Liv, we can't keep her forever. ACS will be here any day, as soon as they find her a suitable family." As soon as the word 'we' came out of his mouth, Elliot grimaced inwardly, the implication of them together much too obvious. No they weren't a 'we,' they were a 'her,' 'him,' and the victim. That was it; he would make sure of it. Luckily, Olivia didn't seem to notice.

"I know, trust me, I know that better than anyone. It's just she needs us, needs the family we've created for her, in order to safely move on with her life. I also called Huang, since you obviously failed to, and he can examine her. Plus, we get a more accurate description of the man from her, AND we'll check the car for fingerprints. That concrete enough for you?" Elliot was about to contradict her comment about the family they had created, before shutting his mouth and climbing into the car after her.

The elevator dinged their floor, as they arrived back at the unit. As soon as the doors opened, both Olivia and Eliot sensed something was wrong. Everyone was gone, the office was completely silent. Elliot reached for his gun and made his way to Cragen's office while Olivia ran to the playroom. He found a note on Cragen's office, addressed to the two of them. "_Elliot, Olivia_" it said, "_Liza's been taken, hostage situation, gun involved, the old warehouse about to be torn down. Come now. –Cragen." _"Elliot!" Olivia's voice called out from outside the office. "She's gone." He looked at her, the fear in her eyes just beginning to surface. His mind started fogging with fear, the worst possible outcomes racing through his head, almost as if Liza was his own child. But seeing his partner afraid made the protective masculinity in him kick into overdrive. As they jumped in the car and sped towards the warehouse, sirens blaring, Elliot made a silent vow to make sure everything turned out okay. It had to.

They arrived on scene a mere five minutes later, shocked to find sharp shooters on every roof top, guns aimed to kill. "Where's the hostage negotiator?!" Elliot demanded as Cragen threw him the bullet proof vest. "She can't go in; the guy's saying if anyone goes in there but you two, he'll kill the girl. One bullet's already been fired, but luckily he missed." Cragen looked stern as he gave them the earpieces to keep in contact. "Go. Now. And be careful."


	5. Chapter 5

**i hope you like it. and as always, r-e-v-i-e-w.**

They entered the warehouse, hands resting on their guns in case of emergency. In any other hostage situation, their guns would've been pulled, but this time neither Elliot nor Olivia were willing to risk the girl's life by not obeying the perp's orders. The man holding a gun to Liza's head was an average looking guy, Caucasian, brown hair, medium height, not the kind of guy you'd expect to abduct a little girl. But the blind rage in his eyes convinced Elliot that this guy wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if all went amok. Liza sat in front of him, arms and legs bound with duct tape, gun pressed into the back of her head, lips pressed together in fear. The expression on the little girl's face was heartbreaking, seeming to implore the detectives to save her. "My name's Detective Stabler and this is my partner Detective Benson. I understand you were looking for us, now let's just all stay calm, okay? What's your name?" "Kevin," the young man replied. There was no way he was over twenty, but the anger in his eyes suggested experience beyond his years. "Kevin Moore. I'm Liza's brother."

Olivia tried to console the little girl with her eyes, unable to more, as she heard Elliot say, "Brother? Liza didn't mention she had a brother." Kevin snorted. "Yeah, well my loving parents kicked me out on the street after I 'beat up my little sister.' I never touched the lying little bitch, but they didn't believe me. You always were Mommy and Daddy's angel of a daughter, weren't you, never brave enough to stand up for your big brother." Kevin spat at Liza, prodding the gun harder into her head, and she whimpered in fear. "Kevin, killing her is not going to change what happened." Elliot said quickly, noticing Olivia's knuckles white on her gun, afraid she might shoot Kevin clean in the head.

"Yeah, but," Kevin sneered, "killing my parents sure brought them to their senses. You should've heard the way my mother screamed, or the way my father begged for mercy." Olivia watched; face white with anger, as Liza's eyes filled with tears. Elliot, also watching Liza's reaction, said "Kevin, stop." "Or maybe I should tell you guys all about how my mother went limp went I raped her, and how hard my father fought against the ropes I bound him with." Kevin went on, enjoying the growing disgust on the detective's faces. ""Kevin, you're scaring her." Elliot took a single step forward, in attempt to console Liza. Immediately Kevin was on his feet, dragging Liza closer to him and repositioned the gun on her head. "Come any closer," Kevin growled, "and her pretty little head will explode into a million pieces." Elliot froze in his steps, unwilling to risk Liza's life further. "What do you want from us?" Olivia said, the first time she had spoken since they came in.

Kevin grinned, "There we go, that's more like it. You see, Detective Stabler, your partner has more sense than you. She knows when it's too late to bargain, and succumb to a higher power." Kevin's e yes scanned over Olivia's body, and whistled appreciatively. "And she's hot too. Hey sweetheart, if we all walk out of here alive, you free Saturday night?" Elliot's jaw twitched in suppressed rage, and perhaps more than a little twinge of jealousy, wanting nothing more than to punch the guy's face in. But Olivia's eyes just narrowed in disdain. "What do you want?" she repeated, emphasizing each word. "Hang on for just a minute, baby, let me enjoy my moment here. You have no idea how great this is for a guy's ego. Having my bitch of a little sister at gunpoint, a detective with a serious anger management problem who's about to explode with jealousy because I'm hitting on his partner who he loves but is too cowardly to tell her, and a beautiful lady at my feet, ready to do anything to save the only channel for she can use to express her love for her partner."

After a moment of shocked silence, Elliot spoke, "You know, I've gotta hand it to you, Kevin, you'd make a damn good shrink." "They have a shot, Elliot, I repeat; they have a clear shot, firing in ten seconds. Keep him talking so that he doesn't suspect anything." Cragen's message came through the earpiece. Elliot's heart lifted, they were all going to make it out of there safe and sound. Though it was unconsciously done, Kevin saw the relief pass over Elliot's face. Years of living on the streets had trained his reflexes to be razor-sharp, and suddenly Kevin realized what had caused the detective to relax, and what was about to come.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kevin saw the figure of a sharpshooter through a crack in the warehouse wall, aimed directly at his heart. In the same moment Cragen gave the order to fire, Kevin yanked Liza from in front of him to his side, so she stood in the way of the bullet being fired. Everything happened so fast; the shots firing, Olivia and Elliot ducking for cover, the echo of screams, then the terrible stillness that only death can bring.

**-gasp- what in the world could've happened? review, and you'll find out sooner. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**thanks everybody for the postive feedback! i love you all, especially my devoted readers who review every week! keep it up :)**

Olivia and Elliot lay sprawled in the corner, still dazed from the shooting. Cops flooded in a moment later, the footsteps of their heavy boots echoed through the room before they slowed and stopped. Olivia struggled to her feet, desperate to find Liza and make sure she was alright. She ran blindly to the circle of cops who were all staring at the ground, pushing her way to the front. Her mouth opened in shock and anguish, but she couldn't make a sound.

Elliot arrived just a second after her, always ready to protect and support. He too was rendered speechless as he and Olivia fell to their knees. Liza lay bleeding on the ground, a red flower of blood blooming from her shoulder, already pooling beneath her. Kevin's dead body lay next to her, killed by another sharpshooter he hadn't seen. Olivia cradled the girl in her arms, as Elliot knelt and grasped Liza's limp hand in tightly.

"Liza…Liza, sweetie, you've got to wake up," Olivia whispered, the tears clogging her voice, as she pressed her hands tightly against the wound. Liza's eyes opened in pain, and roamed wildly before settling on Olivia's face. "…Olivia…" she murmured. "My shoulder hurts…" "I know, sweetie, and you're being very brave. I just need you to hold on, the ambulance is coming." Liza's breaths were getting shorter and shallower; she couldn't afford to lose much more blood. "I should've told my Mommy to hang on that night. The night Kevin hurt her and Daddy." Liza's voice was filled with regret and wisdom well beyond a three year olds', finally remembering everything that had happened that night.

Olivia's cheeks were wet, she could only say "Hold on," over and over, a desperate prayer to a God she had never believed in. Elliot was ready to tear someone apart, jump a tank of sharks, die; anything, if it meant that Liza would live and Olivia wouldn't have to suffer through any more pain.

"Mommy and Daddy never got to kiss me, or each other goodbye, that night." Liza's eyes were now focused intently on Olivia's and Elliot's faces, determined to get her point across. "I don't want that to happen again. I want to be able to go to Heaven, and tell my Mommy and Daddy that the last thing I knew on this Earth was love." Olivia's shoulders started shaking with silent sobs, as she whispered, "Okay honey."

Olivia pressed her lips to Liza's forehead, stroking her hair soothingly. "I love you, Liza. Tell your parents in Heaven," her voice broke, "that they have a wonderful daughter." Even Elliot's eyes were filled with tears, as he leaned down and kissed the little girl, and enfolded her in one last embrace. "I love you too Liza," he said tenderly, "Don't forget us up there in Heaven."

Liza smiled wearily. The pool of blood on the ground was growing, no matter how hard Olivia pressed her hands against the wound. Elliot squeezed the small hand tighter, helpless to stop the chill of death taking over Liza's body. "Come on, sweetie, look at Mommy and Daddy, don't close your eyes, you've got to keep fighting," Olivia pleaded, shaking the girl slightly. Liza fought to stay conscious, the world already swirling into black around her. "What's that sound?" she said, her voice nearly inaudible. "It sounds like a…" At that moment, Cragen's voice called from outside. "Olivia! Elliot! Ambulance is here!" Two men carrying a stretcher ran into the warehouse, grabbing Liza out of Olivia's arms and rushed to the ambulance. Olivia and Elliot ran after them, jumping into the ambulance just in time as the doors closed and the driver tore out of the parking lot.

"Extensive blood loss!" one of the doctors in the ambulance shouted as another rushed to put an oxygen mask over Liza's face. "Her pulse is weak, she's barely breathing," another said as all the doctors started to crowd around the girl, pushing the detectives away. Olivia stood on her toes and walked around the circle of doctors, trying to get a glimpse of Liza. She almost fell as the ambulance hit a bump in the road, saved once again by Elliot's arms. However this time, she barely thought to blush as the red lights on the heart monitor started to flash warningly. "We're losing her!" someone yelled frantically. "No, no, no," Olivia said, her voice rising with each word. "No, Liza, please honey, hang on!" Elliot turned her around so that she couldn't see, and put his arms around her; trying to ignore her clawing at his back. "She's crashing!"

Through a gap in the doctor's circle, Elliot finally met Liza's dimming eyes. "Kiss her," Liza mouthed, no longer able to produce a sound, her eyes pleading for him to understand. Elliot hesitated for just a moment, before he turned to crush his lips to Olivia's. He could taste the salt from her tears, whatever lip gloss she had used, and her cold, bitter grief. He pressed harder, mercilessly until their teeth were nearly grinding together; this was nothing like the gentle pecks he shared with Kathy, but then again this was Olivia, could there be two women in the world who were more different? Olivia responded immediately, opening her mouth and attacking him just as viciously. They had always been in sync, they both understood that this was not a kiss of comfort or of compassion; instead it was a kiss of desperate need, and they behaved accordingly, without shame or regrets.

In the face of sorrow, the raw thoughts and feelings they usually hid so well were exposed, laid out for each other to see. They clung to each other, as if each were drowning in a tidal wave of emotions, and the other was their shelter through the storm. Olivia briefly remembered a conversation she'd had with Cragen once about oblivion, how alcohol had once been his. Now, holding on to Elliot so tightly her muscles were straining, she finally understood the meaning of the word 'oblivion.' She felt it now, Elliot's need more addictive and more numbing than any painkiller she'd ever taken.

The beeping of the heart monitor sped up recklessly before the long, unwavering tone broke them apart. Olivia stared at Elliot, her soul bared to him in her eyes, before fear and pain took its place. Elliot opened his mouth, but there were no words that could describe what had just happened between them. Distantly, Elliot heard the doctor say, "I'm sorry Detectives. There was nothing we could do…She's gone." At these words, Olivia went limp in his arms, a part of her seeming to die right along with Liza. All Elliot could do was hold his broken partner closer to his beating heart, his own tears mixing into her skin as he buried his face into her neck. _I failed you…forgive me, _he silently begged, as the agony settled over them both.


	7. Chapter 7

**a hello to all my lovely readers out there! sorry for not updating sooner! i can't seem to write fast enough to satisfy all you people haha. but here it is, and i hope you like it. and as always please review! they really do make my day as all of you, being writers, will understand. :) so do leave me a note, and i promise the writing will be better!**

The station house was silent the next day. Olivia just stared at her computer monitor, while Elliot threw a stress ball into his hand over and over. Wham. Wham Wham. The sound seemed to echo all throughout the room. Munch cracked the occasional joke, saying that working in a graveyard would be more cheerful. But without anyone to laugh or listen, the humor did nothing to alleviate the gloom. The door to Cragen's office creaked open and the squad cringed; fully expecting Cragen's voice, sharply telling them to get their asses moving, that they had other cases to investigate.

But when Cragen spoke, there was a sadness and gentleness that you didn't see a lot of in Captain Cragen. "Olivia, Elliot. Could you come here please?" Refusing to meet Elliot's eyes, Olivia pushed her chair back and walked to Cragen's office. Elliot's heart twisted; she hadn't looked him in the face since that moment in the ambulance. When he had kissed her, reaching through all her fear and desperation to the soul inside. 

But after Liza had died, she had closed up more tightly than before; put the iron walls around her emotions that used to keep their partnership in check. However, now that he had broken through them, Elliot felt his own soul withering away without the contact of hers. He reached out to grab her wrist, longing to pull her back to him; make her look him in the eye until she couldn't hide anymore. He felt the shudder go up her arm before she twisted away and left him waiting and alone.

"So," Olivia said, arms crossed. She and Elliot were standing in front of Cragen's desk, a few feet between them; as if the connection that used to bring them closer was now pushing them apart. Cragen hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "It's about Liza." Elliot watched Olivia's face carefully, needing to see her reaction. The instant Cragen had said the name "Liza," tears had sprung to Olivia's eyes. But the next moment they had gone; replaced by a wall of indifference to keep her real emotions hidden. "What about her? Is there something that wasn't taken care of?"

There hadn't been much. Elliot and Olivia had ridden with Liza's body back to the hospital, seen the official death certificate signed. All that had been left to do was reserve the small plot of land beside her parents. It seemed like such a shame, that the brave little girl wouldn't even get a funeral; just left to vanish away into the ground.

"No, it's nothing like that." Cragen said too quickly. Both Elliot and Olivia had known the man longer enough to understand that they weren't gonna like what was coming next. "I know you've been through a lot, and this is probably the last thing you need to deal with right now, but you're getting psych evaluations. Huang is already in interrogation, waiting. And don't argue because I'm not about to change my mind." Elliot bit back his anger; he HATED psych evaluations. He had an annoying tendency to say too much and regret it later. After all, why did he need a shrink when he had Olivia? When it came to his emotional crap, Olivia knew more than anyone else in the world. She knew how to get through to him, and help him through the maze of pent-up emotions.

Well. She used to be good at that. Now, she wouldn't even look at him. "Who's up first?" Olivia's monotone voice, free of protest, shocked both men. "What!" Elliot exclaimed, at the same time Cragen replied, "You are." Elliot waited for an explanation, but he didn't get one. Carefully avoiding brushing against him on her way out, she opened the door and strode to interrogation. Elliot closed his eyes, letting the overwhelming frustration and anger go the best he could, before slamming the door behind him. Cragen leaned back in his chair and sighed; his worry for his detectives adding yet another line in his forehead. He could only hope for the best.

Huang gazed at Olivia's face. It was stony and passive, lacking its usual fervor and passion; she seemed to be looking past him to something only she could see. "Olivia?" he asked tentatively, watching her lifeless eyes zero in on him. "How are you feeling?" On any other day, this would've provoked a snort and some sarcastic comment about how much he sounded like a shrink. But today, she just replied, "Fine. But Cragen obviously disagrees." "Can you tell me what happened?" She didn't even flinch at his "oh you're so weak, let me help you" tone of voice, something she usually resented, being the only female cop on the squad. 

"911 responded to a call about a husband and wife killed in their apartment." She was using her factual tone of voice, as if she were speaking about a case." "Fluids and bruising were evident on the woman's body, so it was deemed an SVU case. Arriving on scene, a little girl jumped out of the closet and into my arms. It was later discovered her name was Liza, and she was the daughter of the two victims. After further investigation, an eyewitness described a heated argument between the victims and an unidentified young man just before the time of death. Returning to the station house to check for any additional forensic evidence, instead we found a note from Cragen saying Liza had been taken hostage and that the situation was urgent."

The hostage taker demanded that only Detective Stabler and I could negotiate, so we proceeded with the usual standards. However, as our Captain announced he had a clear shot, the hostage taker realized he was being surrounded by sharp shooters, and used the hostage as a shield. He, however, didn't realize there were shooters on the other side as well so he was shot and killed. Liza was shot in the shoulder, and I tried to staunch the wound by applying pressure. But by the time the ambulance arrived, she had already lost too much blood. There was nothing more I could do."

Huang thought for a moment before asking, "There was nothing more YOU could do? What about Elliot? He was there too, wasn't he?"

Olivia bit her lip unconsciously as she fiddled with her hands in her lap. "I didn't mean to say I; what I meant to say was Detective Stabler and I. He did more than his share of the work."

Huang noted the careful avoidance of the word "we." He could sense her whirling emotions underneath the tough surface, and he was determined to break through. The most imminent emotion was guilt, he could tell. But what that guilt was for, he still had no idea. "Do you think you did you share of the work?" Olivia's eyes flashed in anger, the first real sign of emotion. "A sweet innocent little girl who witnessed her parents' brutally murdered, got taken hostage by her older brother, had a gun pointed to her head, then got shot and bled out for at least fifteen minutes before dying. Do you THINK I did my share of the work?"

"You have a lot of anger towards yourself. Do you have that same amount of blame towards Elli…?" 

"No." Olivia cut in sharply. "I don't blame Elliot for any of this. He loved that little girl like she was his own, and he fought like hell to save her." 

"I listened to the tapes, Olivia. You loved her too." 

Tears had welled in Olivia's eyes as her denial began to waver. "You don't understand. Elliot…it's personal for him, more than it is for anyone else. The first lesson they teach you is to not get attached but, to him, losing Liza was like losing Maureen or Kathleen or Lizzie or Dickie or Eli. He's so strong, but I don't know if he'll make it through this one…" Her voice started to shake, and she visibly shrank before his eyes; Huang was suddenly reminded of a small child curled in a corner. "God I'm such a failure…" "How, Olivia? You did everything you could…"

"NO I DIDN'T!" The force of her rage seemed to rebound off the desolate gray walls. The lights up above shuddered, as if even they were cowering from her anger. "Elliot was counting on me, and I let him down! And now he has to suffer…he should've never trusted me! He's too good to me, always making excuses. No matter when and how much I screw up, compromise a case, get him in trouble with Cragen, he just keeps coming back. He's never been anything but there for me, and I fuckin' screwed that up too." 

Then in a voice so soft Huang had lean forward to hear, she added, "And I fell in love with him too. It would make this a hell of a lot easier for both of us if I didn't care so much." The tears spilled over and she let out a single sob.

Suddenly it all became clear to Huang. She wasn't shutting down emotionally over the death of Liza. Rather she was overcome with her love for Elliot, and guilt that she hadn't been able to save him from the sorrow they were both experiencing. "And does he feel the same way?"

He waited for a long time, but she didn't look up. She just pressed herself closer to the chair, as if she wanted to disappear into it. Finally he sighed, and left for Elliot's evaluation. What he couldn't see was Olivia's lips moving soundlessly, repeating the same phrase over and over. "I failed you, I'm so sorry, forgive me…"


	8. Chapter 8

**okay first of all, SO SORRY for not updating sooner. i've had a terrible case of writer's block, and as hard as i tried, i couldn't get this story to go where i needed it to go. finally, after probably two weeks of writing and erasing and more writing and erasing, i scribbled this down. it might not be as good as what i've written so far, in fact it may be absolute crap. but understood, i DID try, so please forgive me, and leave me a long meaningful review. though the "update soon" ones are always appreciated, the ones with personality and life in them are the ones that really stay with me.**

**i'm not sure how many more chapters there are left, but the story's definitely winding down, don't ya think?**

Elliot was about to implode from nervous energy. Wobbling back and forth on the creaky suspect chair, he stared hard at the one-way mirror; as if he believed that if he stared hard enough, he could see through to the other side,. He suppressed the increasingly overwhelming urge to just walk through the door, find Olivia, and get the hell out. In fact, he would knock down the whole damn building if he had to. The door handle glinted at him tantalizingly, daring him to leave. But, out of loyalty to his Captain and stubborn determination to break through to Olivia, he instead stayed put; certain his teeth and jaw were about to break with how he was clenching the both of them.

Finally, the key in the lock jiggled for a moment before the door handled turned and Huang walked in. Only then did Elliot realize that Cragen had locked him in; knowing Elliot well enough to sense the possibility of escape. The instant Elliot saw Huang's face, felt the air change as he walked in, he could sense Olivia's sorrow. It smelled as fresh as rain, and sharp as a bullet wound; a bone-deep ache that tugged at Elliot's soul, because after all, when she was hurt, he was the one that bled. But there was something else in the air, a sweeter undertone that smelled not entirely of pain. Elliot couldn't figure out what it was; like a long forgotten memory just beginning to stir in the depths of his mind. It seemed so familiar…yet so achingly different. "Elliot, please sit down."

Huang's tone of voice, fatigued and sorrowful, triggered Elliot's concern for Olivia once more; he had been momentarily distracted by the emotion he still could not name. "What did you do to her?" he shot out as he sat down roughly, before Huang had even opened his mouth. "Nothing. I did what your Captain asked of me." "But you made her cry," Elliot pointed out, nodding at the single wet drop on Huang's sleeve. Immediately, the sleeve disappeared under the table as Huang cleared his throat and asked, "So how are you, Elliot?" "Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Pissed that you won't tell me how my partner is." "And how are the kids?" Elliot couldn't help but grin. "Great. Eli has started wiggling around; Kathy keeps trying to teach him how to crawl."

"How is Kathy, anyways? We haven't seen her around here in a while." Elliot grimaced involuntarily at the mention of his wife's name; he hadn't come home at all for the past couple of days, and their marriage was once again crumbling at the edges. It suddenly struck Elliot that whenever things were rocky between him and Olivia, his marriage would too be affected negatively. Without Olivia's unwavering strength, it seemed, he didn't have the heart or the courage to face his wife. "Remember, Elliot, I was trained for the facial recognition program at the FBI. And right now you have the 'I'm feeling guilty about my wife' expression." Elliot was taken aback. "They have an expression for that?" Huang thought for a moment. "No. But if they did, it'd be the expression on your face right now." Elliot laughed wryly, before relaxing fractionally. "We haven't exactly been on the best of terms lately. I haven't come home these last few days, you know, with this case. And before that, we've been a little emotionally distant. But again, what do you expect, after so many years of marriage?"

Huang didn't laugh at Elliot's attempt for humor, instead he leaned in closer. "Why do you think that is?" "Oh, I don't know. You know, the whole thing with a new baby, the other kids grown up and out of the house, the rusty awkwardness of getting used to parenting again." Huang contemplated before saying, "Nothing to do with Olivia?" Elliot only stared before saying, a bit too sharply, "Why makes you think that it would?" Holding up his hands in defense, Huang said, "It's just a question." Elliot laughed wildly, remembering the last time a shrink had said that to him. It had resulted in a complete emotional breakdown on his end, and it was not something he wished to repeat.

"No, Olivia is not one of the reasons my marriage is going through a rough patch. If anything, she keeps my marriage steady." "Why is that?" "Gee, I don't know," Elliot said sarcastically, "Maybe because she's my best friend? Or that she's always there for me? Or that she understands me better than I even understand myself? Take your pick." Elliot was usually extremely bad at predicting what a shrink was going to ask next; the logic behind their thoughts, much like that of a perp's, was beyond his grasp. But nothing could've prepared him for what Huang said next. "The way you describe her, it sounds like you should be married to Olivia, not Kathy." Elliot's eyes widened, to the point of ridiculousness, in astonishment. "Wh-What?' He finally managed to sputter.

"Olivia sounds like the perfect woman for you. After all, rumors and speculations about you two have been flying around for years. I actually think that Munch, Fin, and Casey have an active bet on when you guys will get together." Huang had to refrain from grinning at the look of increasing disbelief and fluster on Elliot's face; turned out that good matchmaking skills were part of what made a good psychiatrist. He continued, "She is hot though, I must say. Things must get interesting around here, you know, having one beautiful female cop in a group of hot-blooded males. Especially during undercover stints." Huang winked at Elliot. "Plus, she's single. I bet Lake's thinking of maybe making the moves on her, seeing as Casey won't give him the time of day." Huang sighed, as if enthralled by all the juicy gossip, but he was in fact watching intently.

While he had blushed and averted his eyes at the mention of attraction and Olivia, Elliot had tensed up as soon as the concept of Lake and Olivia was mentioned. Embarrassment followed by a sudden powerful burst of jealously were good signs for Huang; he was trying to rile Elliot up enough so that he would face the reality of his love for Olivia. At least Huang hoped to hell that it would make him face it. If he had read the signs wrong, gotten things confused, Olivia would be even more cut up; leaving a confused Elliot, a bitter and hurt Olivia, and a dysfunctional squad that couldn't do anything, let alone solve cases.

Sensing a slight waver in Elliot's emotional defenses, Huang moved on to the most imminent issue at hand. "So anyways, enough about that, tell me about Liza." Elliot stiffened, unwilling to give away the few precious memories he had of the little girl, and the carefree laughing Olivia. "Why should I?" Huang shrugged. "Olivia did." That's all it took. "She was the sweetest little girl you could ever hope to meet. She never deserved what happened to her or her parents. Never." "Did you love her?" "She was the victim. But yes, I got emotionally attached." "Did Olivia?" "I imagine so. It was impossible not to."

"Who was more emotionally distraught at Liza's death?" There was no hesitation in Elliot's answer. "Olivia. She wouldn't talk to me about it; she wouldn't eat or drink anything. In fact, she hasn't even looked at me since it happened." "Why is that?" The guilt bore down on his shoulders again, and Elliot couldn't seem to shake it off. He was so tired of this emotional abyss between him and Olivia that he didn't even try to lie. "I think she blames me for Liza's death. But then again, I would blame me too if I were her." "But she doesn't blame herself?" Elliot shook his head in confusion. "Why would she?"

"She was there too, Elliot." "Yeah, but I made her a promise. In the car, on the way to the warehouse, I made her a silent vow that I wouldn't let anything bad happen. She's been through so much pain already, she loved that little girl the way only she knows how to love, with everything in her, and she never deserved to suffer another second of her life. But I let her down, and now she's paying for my own stupid mistakes. She doesn't need any more hurt, especially not from me, but that's all I seem to be able to do these days. Hurt her more." Elliot had no way of knowing how eerily his and Olivia's reaction echoed each other, yet it still gave Huang chills up and down his spine. The two were so similar; stubborn, proud, afraid of showing too much, or upsetting the other. Seeing Elliot's gaze wander towards the window, much the same way Olivia's had done during her interview, all his questions vanished except for one. "Are you in love with her?"

Elliot's focus intensified on Huang so fast that he could almost feel the pressure of Elliot's gaze. But instead of cowering back like he wanted to, Huang met his eyes. The denial that had sprang to Elliot's mind immediately withered away as he saw the sincerity and honesty in the psychiatrist's eyes. This wasn't just a psych exam anymore, and it wasn't about Huang making sure Elliot wasn't going to commit suicide the next day; instead it was something bigger, something more important than Huang was letting on.

Finally, after a long pause, Elliot let out a long and frustrated sigh. There were no words between them, yet Huang knew exactly what he had meant. "Go talk to her, Elliot." "But Cragen…" "Needed you to get a psych evaluation. And I think it's gone rather successfully, don't you?" Stopping only to give Huang brief but genuine thanks, Elliot tore out of the room towards freedom. Towards Olivia.

It was time for a talk.


	9. Chapter 9

**well it's been an awful long time hasn't it. god it's been a REALLY long time. so i'm sorry about that. but i'm posting this chapter out of guilt simply because every time i get a sporadic review or favorite author/story email, i'm always reminded of how i left this story hanging. and no it's not finished yet, and no there aren't any guarantees that the next chapter will be up by the next week or two weeks or month even, but hey, depending on the kind of reviews i get, it might just guilt me into writing the next chapter as soon as possible. :) **

Only after Elliot had stormed out of the building did he realize his own stupidity. He hadn't asked Huang where Olivia was, and whether or not she had left after her interview. Without any idea where she was, or where she was going, it could take hours to find her. And now, with gas prices being so ridiculously high, Elliot wasn't sure he wanted to drive blindly around New York, looking for his partner.

Blowing out a breath and watching the white puff dissipate into the cold air, he stuck his hands in his pockets; watching the endless line of yellow taxis drive by amidst the honking of horns. It was getting late, but not yet late enough for the local bars and restaurants to be filled with New York's countless night owls. Wondering if he should just give up and go home, Elliot suddenly spotted very familiar brown hair, disappearing in the direction of Central Park. Accidentally running into a hot dog stand in his rush to catch up, he ignored the new ketchup stain on his shirt and ran after her.

By the time he had actually reached the park, the last shreds of sunlight were disappearing behind the tall skyscrapers. Taking a moment to catch his breath, his eyes were immediately drawn to Olivia, sitting on a bench. Though she wasn't looking in his direction, somehow he knew that she was waiting for him.

He took his place next to her; far enough away to make her feel comfortable, and not have her think that he was closing in, but close enough to hear the steady rhythm of her breathing, smell the slight perfume of her hair. "You know, I used to sit here as a kid, when I needed to get away, and just stare at that tree over there," she said, face still turned away. He looked at the specified tree, and saw faintly, carved in the wood, the letters "OB +" in a heart. But the second set of initials had been worn down by someone's hand, so that they were no longer visible. "I'd stay here for hours, just watching and watching, feeling so sad. I would wonder who OB was and if they knew that they had seen their name alone on that tree. Wonder if they were okay, if they were lonely. Who had once come after that plus sign." She kept talking almost as if he wasn't there, as if she needed to get this out. "And then I'd wonder if I would ever have to face that situation, have my name be all alone some day, without anyone to be there for me. I figured with dealing with my mother all the time, hating my father, crying myself to sleep every day out of loneliness, maybe I would find happiness somewhere in the future. And I vowed that I'd come back and carve my someone's initials in that space, so that whichever person who came here next, searching for an escape, would feel as if there is just a little more love in this world."

Elliot was stunned; this was a side of Olivia he had never seen before. The pure intimacy in her words, in the small piece of her past she was sharing with him, gave him the strength to ask her something he would've never dreamed otherwise. "And have you found those initials yet?" She looked down at the ground, and he could see a tear fall from her eyes, catching the light from one of the nearby lampposts before it disappeared onto the grass. "I don't know," she said, her voice breaking just the slightest bit. "I don't know." "Olivia, look at me," he said, guiding her face towards his, until she had no choice but to look at him. But when she did, the depth of heartache struck him dumb, and left him speechless. The only time he had ever seen that expression was in the eyes of the victims, as they pleaded with him to keep them safe, to shield them from their nightmare of a life. And it was only then that he realized that, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that it was Olivia pushing him away, not letting him get close enough to help her, it was his and his own fault alone that he didn't try hard enough to keep her from running away.

Overcome with guilt, he brought his lips to hers, gentle rather than desperate, as if he was afraid she would fade away at his touch. But instead her pliant mouth opened under his, and he once again tasted her sorrow; however it was unbearably sweet, and it made his heart twinge in places he didn't know he had. Once again, she was his, and even if just for a moment, he wanted to believe that this was it; that nothing was ever going to come between them.

When he finally pulled away, he felt suddenly vulnerable; he had just laid everything he had on the line, with more than a good chance of rejection. She too seemed shaken; closing her eyes, causing more tears to course down her cheeks, and shuddering at even his slightest touch. "What's happening to us, Elliot?" She asked, eyes still closed and voice barely above a whisper. "This isn't how it's supposed to be, this isn't how we are…" "I know. I know this isn't us, this isn't the way our partnership goes but…" "But what?" He looked at her, needing her to believe. "But maybe it's what it could become."


End file.
